Unsinkable boat.



G. PITRE.

UNSINKABLE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-.18, 1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

' 3 BHEFTB-BHEET 1.

Inventor COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO.,WASII1NOTON. u, t.

G. PITRE.

UNSINKABLE BOAT.

APPLIOATION IILED MAR. 1a, 1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 BHEBTB-BHEET 2.

Inventor.

wilnes 645% S25: g -N1 QMM G. PITRE. UNSINKABLE BOAT. AP'PLIOATIUN FILEDMAR. 18, 1911- 1,035,046. Patented Aug. 6,1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 60.. VIMNINOI'ON, b. c.

GUSTAVE PITRE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

UNSINKABLE BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18,

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

1911. Serial No. 615,279.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAVn Prrnn, a citizen of the French Republic,and resident of 19 Rue des Entrepreneurs, Paris, France, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Unsinkable Boats, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Wooden fishing boats of the dory type are as is well known usually ofprimitive construction. The shape of these boats is very simple; theyare flat-bottomed and are so shaped as to permit of their being nestedor placed one in the other, so that they will occupy the least possiblespace in the hold or on the deck of a ship. Moreover, these boats are ofvery poor stability and fill rapidly when they encounter heavy seas.They are also unable to carry sufiieient provisions for any length oftime.

The present invention has for its object to provide a boat which willnot possess these disadvantages. I

According to the invention, the boat is constructed in such manner as tobe unsinkable and is provided with receptacles for provisions andclothing, to which the crew may have access if the boat capsizes. It is,however, of simple construction and as inexpensive as ordinary boats ofthis type.

The annexed drawings illustrate by way of example a boat constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the axis of the improvedboat. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line AA of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is aplan view. Figs. 4 and 5 show diagrammatically in section to reducedscale how these boats may be arranged one within the other for the sakeof economy of space and to facilitate stowage.

As shown, the boat forming the subject of the present invention is aflat-bottomed boat preferably constructed of sheet metal. It compriseswatertight compartments 1, 2, 3 and 4 of which compartments 1 and 4 arelo cated atthe fore and aft ends of the boat respectively and thecompartments 2 and 3 are arranged amidships and form seats. All theseparts are carefully assembled and riveted so as to insure perfecttightness.

The stem 5 is of flat bar iron. The frame 6 is formed of angle bars.

In order to avoid sharp edges which might cut the wood of the decks,gunwales, etc., of the ship carrying the boats, round iron beachingkeels 7 are riveted to the edges of the flat-bottom 8.

The only parts of the boat made of wood are the floor 9, the gunwalesand the rowlocks.

The gunwales which are formed of an outer rail 11 and an inner rail 12connected by bolts or the like are level with the upper edge of the side13 through which the bolts 14 pass. Lifting rings 15 are provided on thestern and on the stem. This latter is also provided with a towing ring16.

The water-tight compartments are essential features of the invention.The fore and aft compartments 1 and 1 are of such size as to insure thatthe boat will be sufliciently buoyant. Owing to these compartments theboat is able to carry several persons without risk of sinking, even instormy weather, and even when it has shipped water. These compartments 1and 4 have also the great ad vantage of being able to serve for thestorage of dry clothes.

ater-tight closures 17 are arranged on the upper side of each of thesecompartments; access is obtained to the compartments through theseclosures. Closures 18 similar to those 17, are also provided on thelower side of each of these compartments, that is to say, in the flatbottom of the boat. These permit of access being had to the compartmentswhen the boat has capsized and enable the crew who would be clinging toor seated upon the flat bottom, to obtain provisions, etc. The falsekeel 19 which will be hereinafter referred to, is provided with openingswhich form a hold for the crew when the boat is upside down. In certaincases the false keel may not be desirable (for instance, it mayinterfere with the ground lines). In this case it is dispensed with anda groove with projections forming holding means is provided in thebottom of the boat.

The compartments 2 and 3 serve as seats. They are utilized preferably,one for holding a reserve stock of fresh water and the other forprovisions. The provision compartment 3 for example is provided with twoclosures 20 and 21, one on the upper side, and the other on thefiat-bottom which permit of removal of provisions from the compartmentseither when the boat is in its normal position or when it is upsidedown. Finally, the other compartment 2 containing the fresh water isprovided with upper, and lower cocks 22 similar to those employed onlarge vessels and screwed into a recessed part of the metal. A cover 23,connected to a fixed axis on the flat portion of the metal protects theparts 22 from damage.

As will be understood, the two cocks are located at different points insuch manner that the tubes do not come in contact and that the lowercock is arranged in proximity to the false keel 19 in order to be protected thereby.

Transverse partitions are arranged inside the fresh water compartment,these partitions serving to separate the body of water and to preventitfrom being carried from side to side on the boat rolling.

As already stated the false keel 19 is arranged axially on the flatbottom of the boat. The openings 24: provided in this false keel formmeans whereby the crewcan hold on until saved when the boat. capsizes.

The four water-tight compartments 1, 2, 3, 4, in addition to theclosures, are also provided with emptying means intended to per mitcomplete cleansing of the inside of the compartments and if desired thethorough drying thereof.

The characteristics of the boat according to the invention are asfollows :--Its nonsubmergihility, owing to the form of the water-tightcompartments which are adapted to serve also as receptacles forprovisions, water, and, as seats and stern sheets. The

accessibility of these water-tight compartv ments either from inside theboat or from the outslde when 1t has capsized. The supporting devices towhich the crew may cling when the boat has capsized.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is 1. An unsinkable fishing boat ofthe dory type adapted to be nested with others and in which provisionsand supplies may be stored and to which access may be had when the boatis either in normal or in capsized position, comprising a shell of thedory type, a plurality of buoyant compartments within the samedistributed fore and aft and amidships to form' seats adapted to holdsupplies, water-tight closures for said compartments accessible eitherin the upright or in the capsized position of the boat.

2. An unsinkable fishing boat of the dory type adapted to be nested withothers and in which provisions and'supplies may be stored and to whichaccess may be had'when the boat is either in normal or in capsizedposition, comprising a shell of the dory type, a plurality of buoyantcompartments within the same distributed fore and aft and amidships toform seats adapted to hold supplies, water-tight closures for saidcompartments accessible either in the upright or in the capsizedposition of the boat, and a false keel provided with hand-hold openingsfor the capsized crew.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAVE PITRE. lVitnesses DOMINIQUE OASALONGA, MIGUEL Fnnono.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. .0.

